Tag Archives: memorial day

This is Memorial Day weekend, a time when we pause to pay our respects to veterans who gave their all, made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives in the service of our nation whether standing guard over our freedom or striving to liberate others.

We salute them with our hands and with our hearts but what of those who gave their best? The veterans who DID make it home?

Yes, we have Veterans Day but couldn’t we do better than that?

SHOULDN’T we do better than that?

This weekend, amid the parades and picnics, between the salutes and fly overs, our living veterans are suffering needlessly at the hand of those who promised them they would be taken care of and it is beneath contempt.

The VA scandal is the ultimate insult to those who have given so very much. They fought for us, they watched their friends, brothers and sisters in uniform die for us and many, too many, came back scared. Some of those scars are visible, some make people look away and some, some scars, neither you nor I can see but they ARE there and regardless the nature of the injury, those veterans deserve far, FAR better than they are getting today.

At the end of the last administration, backlogs began at veterans hospitals. Too many coming home too quickly. Too many in need from two theaters of war. They had been promised the help they would need for the scars we can see and from those we can’t but…they had our nation’s word that they WOULD be taken care of.

Obama, during the 2008 campaign was aware of the problem and he vowed, promised and campaigned on making it right.

He appointed Eric Shinseki to the post. To direct the VA and to make whatever was wrong, right again and since then, over nearly 6 years, what happened?

In 1971, the federal government decided it was more important to have a 3 day weekend than it was to honor those who gave their lives in the service of our nation.

That is a sad but true fact.

Memorial Day USED to be on May 30th, regardless of what day of the week that date fell upon but, 3 days off for federal workers was more important and we now have mattress sales and used car blow-outs instead of parades and the marking of the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers.

Memorial Day has become a sad reminder of those who don’t remember.

There are those who say that the wars, WWI and WWI, perhaps even Korea and Nam were too long ago to be relevant today and far TOO many can’t even tell you what the civil war was about or who we defeated in the War of Revolution to gain our independence.

Some died in well known battles. Some in lesser known. Many died in places whose names are known to all. Others in places we have never heard of or on nameless plots of ground. Many were returned home. Many were not. Some were lost for all time and some remain…missing.

They died in faraway places. Germany, France, North Africa. They died in Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan. They died on Pacific islands and many more places too numerous to mention.

Some lost their lives on hills. San Juan, Hamburger, 881, Porkchop.

Some lost their lives on beaches. Omaha, Sword, Juno, Gold and others we may have never heard of and some we have.

They died in forests, cities, mountains, swamps, rice paddies, deserts and trenches too.

Many died here at home.

The Revolutionary War. The War of 1812. The Civil War.

Some died in the air. Some died at sea.

Some died in places that were never talked about on missions never officially sanctioned.

Many volunteered to go and many didn’t but, they went. All of them went.

Sometimes, it was easy for them to identify the enemy and sometimes it was impossible. Some died in the heat of battle while bullets filled the air and bombs exploded all around them. Others died sleeping in their barracks, eating a meal or in places they thought were safe from harm.

As we celebrate Memorial Day, we take time to remember and honor those who have served our nation. It’s not enough to honor them once or twice each year. We must honor them always.

Yesterday, We published an idea. I simple idea but one which we believe will have lasting honor for our fallen Veterans. We Call it…National Patriot Honors.

If you missed that article, please click here and let us know in the comment box if you will take National Patriot Honors to heart and build YOU National Patriot Honors team.

Sometimes, an image can say more than an entire article. Today, rather than an article, we will leave you with a specially created image we call “2 Soldiers” which we, at The National Patriot, believe captures what Memorial Day is about. Don’t forget to check out and comment on, National Patriot Honors and be safe this Memorial Day weekend.

It is Memorial Day weekend and where we, at The National Patriot, would normally publish a story regarding our heroes, this year I am asking for your help.

We hear, every year around this time and sometimes around Veteran’s Day…Stories of soldier’s graves in states of disrepair. We shake our heads, say it’s awful, and wish it were not the case.

It doesn’t have to be the case. We can make a difference.

In every town and city, in communities and neighborhoods across this great nation, there are cemeteries. Within them are the final resting places of our soldiers. Men and women who either died in the service of our country or those who came home, lived and died after their service.

Military grave, many of them, go back to into the ages of time. Many of these heroes families have died or moved away. Those graves receive what care the groundskeepers can provide but that care is dwindling too.

Many cemeteries have faced cutbacks on grounds crews or face financial shortages which reduce the care they can provide.

This is where we can help but before I get into that, allow me to relate a few examples of the disrepair.

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